Within the heart of the Land of the Dead, there lay a realm called Zarix. A land adorned with the bounties of Mother Nature, with groves as green as emerald, trees as great as mountains, and a people as calm as the silence of the fields. This land did declare its independence after the War of the Crown and separated from the borders of the Land of the Dead. Zilop, the current king of the dead, was not pleased with this in the slightest. The separation of the largest part of a realm was not pleasant at all, but this was the decision of the Queen of the Groves. Queen Anahita was the lady who ruled over Zarix. A beautiful lady with eyes and hair the color of henna, whose sweet voice did bring comfort to all hearts; even those who bore a sorrow as great as all the cosmos did find peace upon hearing her voice. Her title was Anahita, Queen of Wisdom and Prudence, and she did truly have a temperament befitting her name.
Anahita had worn black garments since the War of the Crown and the death of Hermes. This grief of loss was so great for her that she made a vow: "The cloth I wear is a sign of the grief in my heart; until this sorrow leaves me, I swear upon my mother and father, I shall not remove these black garments."
In Anahita's Green Palace, built amidst the groves, a dark and ominous creature had taken refuge. A creature whose name caused a shiver to run through every living being, a creature who wore clothing darker than the hearts of the dead and held a long scythe that symbolized one thing and one thing only: death. His name was Dante, the Messenger of Death, the most merciless soldier of the former king.
After Zilop had slaughtered Hermes, Dante became a wanderer. Zilop offered him command of his entire army, but he answered thus: "To serve a traitorous cur is a thousand times worse than the treachery itself. Thou shalt spend the last day of thy life in fear of being slaughtered in thy sweet slumber; I swear upon the life of my dead lord that I shall not let thee live." After speaking these words to the king, he took refuge in the Land of the Groves. Anahita welcomed him with open arms and swore that she would fully support Dante as long as she lived, for both of them shared a common grief: the loss of their king. Truly, what events transpired during the reign of the true king of the dead that ended in such a tragedy…
The exiled queen had passed through the gate. She knew not where she was or what she should do; a deep emptiness had overcome her. The wails of the innocent souls slaughtered by her command would not leave her. A hollow creature with a poisoned heart, she began a journey to the south, not knowing where her feet would take her; she only wished to find a settlement and rest, for the scorching heat of the desert was hell itself for her.
She headed south. As far as her eyes could see, she saw nothing but ground covered in sand. She did not encounter any living being; there was only herself and the endless burning of the sun.
The Land of the Dead, as was mentioned before, was divided into two halves: day and night. The northern half was protected by the eternal moonlight, and the other half welcomed the heat of the sun.
The queen of the moonlight was named Selene. A lady with skin the color of the moonlight and a face as pleasant as a calm lake. She had black tresses that flowed over her shoulders like the unending night. The jewels that glistened upon her body made her dazzling beauty a timeless legend and gave it an even greater splendor. Another name chosen for her was Elnaz, a name her mother had given her, as she was the very embodiment of beauty and charm in the Land of Death.
Three days had passed since Maera's journey to the south began. During these three exhausting days, not a drop of water touched her parched lips, nor a morsel of food soothed her hungry belly. Her frail feet could no longer walk; she had prepared herself to surrender to death. Her knees did bend, and her face fell toward the burning sands. Every part of her being had lost hope. She prepared herself to accept her fate, but all at once, she heard a sound from afar. In that desert where silence reigned, even the sound of small creatures walking could be clearly heard. Maera turned her head to the east and saw a black spot approaching her. With lips that had lost all color from thirst, she pleaded for aid. Her voice was so weak that only her own ears heard what she said. That black spot was a man on horseback, galloping toward Maera. He had long hair the color of a raven's feather. His name was Aristo.
After a few minutes, he reached the place where Maera lay. He dismounted his horse and turned Maera's body to see if she still breathed. She was still alive, but she was slowly nearing the brink of death from thirst and hunger. He had a waterskin with him, which was on his horse's saddle. He took the skin and brought it to the girl's thirsty lips. The sweet and cool water flowed down her throat and gave her new life. Maera feebly opened her eyes and whispered to Aristo: "Please, save me. I don't want to die here." Her body was so weak and frail that the very wells of her eyes had dried up. Aristo embraced her and lifted her. "I shall not let thee die before mine eyes. I shall save thee, no matter what." He seated Maera upon the saddle and mounted his horse as well. He touched the horse's flank with his right foot as a sign to move, and he began to gallop with the speed of the wind.
Aristo had no inkling of the fate that awaited him after meeting the girl; the journey the two began together would end in a fate more bitter than death itself…
End of Chapter 02